MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

Bid Award – Runway 09-27 Improvement Program – Package 3
Runway Program at Hagerstown Regional Airport Enters Next Phase
Area Contractor Wins Bid for Package 3

August 23, 2005, Hagerstown, Maryland - The Board of County Commissioners of Washington County Maryland approved New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc., of New Enterprise, PA as the successful bidder of the second of four packages that comprise Hagerstown Regional Airport’s Runway Improvement Program. New Enterprise’s bid was $17,299,464.50 which was on par with the engineer’s estimate. This work is expected to begin within 30 days.

The Airport’s Runway Improvement Program, which is estimated at $61 million, has been described as the biggest civil engineering project to occur in Washington County in decades. As such, it is expected to have a dramatic and positive impact on the local economy, in particular the construction sectors.

The Runway Improvement Program had been several years in the making and has been documented in several required planning reports. These include a Feasibility Study, an Environmental Assessment and a Benefit/Cost Analysis. Construction started in April 2004 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2007.

The first construction package which includes the majority of grading required for the project is close to completion. This places the project on budget and ahead of schedule. Approximately one and a half million cubic yards of fill has been utilized from a stockpile at the County’s “40 West” Landfill. Use of this material has not only provided a cost-effective source of required fill, but has also solved the Landfill’s need to remove this material.

The genesis of the Airport’s Runway Improvement Program is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandate requiring Part 139 airports to have 1,000-foot safety area at each end of designated runways by 2007. With the concurrence of federal, state and County agencies, runway lengthening was included as part of the Program. The outcome will be a compliant airport infrastructure and a more suitable runway length for today’s aerospace standards. Presently the airport’s main runway is 5,461 feet. At the conclusion of this Program, Runway 09-27 will measure 7,000 usable feet.

According to state studies, Hagerstown Regional Airport contributes approximately $48 million annually to the local economy, is the catalyst for some 500 jobs and supports dozens of local businesses. Hagerstown Regional Airport has operated without interruption since 1928 making it one of the oldest continually operating airports in the country.

Additional information about the Runway Improvement Program is available at Hagerstown Regional Airport’s web site www.FlyHagerstown.com or by calling (240) 313-2777.

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